Trust Operations

The Bluenose II Preservation Trust has the mandate to raise funds to ensure that Bluenose II continues in full operational status as Canada's sailing monument. The Trust is a non-profit organization and a registered charity. Funds are raised through public donations and sales in the Bluenose II Ship's Company Store in Lunenburg and online.

The Trust became registered as a charity under the Income Tax Act of Canada on 17 November, 1994. The chairman and directors of the Bluenose II serve as volunteers, and receive no compensation for their service. The Trust is not an agency of any government and operates at arm's length from government.

The Trust established the Bluenose II Company Store in Lunenburg in May, 1995. The store is open year round, and the proceeds go to support the Bluenose legacy as now represented by Bluenose II. The Trust continues to support the ship by paying for capital items as its resources permit. More than simply running the store, the staff provide information to the public regarding the ship's sailing schedule, and answer countless inquiries about the original Bluenose and Bluenose II from all over the world. They do their work in a courteous, professional manner.

During the period when the Trust operated the ship, one of its most important activities was the provision of free sailings in Bluenose II for school children. We believe it is important for youth to experience that great connection between man, a ship and the sea. To do so on a national icon is very special to our young people. It often results in their teachers doing worthwhile school projects about the original Bluenose and her place in the maritime history and culture of Canada.

The Trust has attempted to give profile to the surviving crewmembers of the original Bluenose, both fishermen and racers alike. In order to qualify to compete in the International Fishermen’s Trophy races, Bluenose had to be a working fishing vessel.  Had all of those men not done what they did under the legendary skipper, Captain Angus Walters, of Lunenburg, in Bill Roué’s ship, there would be no Bluenose legacy and there would be no Bluenose II.  It is for that reason the Trust included those Bluenose crewmembers in Bluenose II functions and ship sailings.  Nova Scotians, indeed all Canadians, should regularly give thanks to William Roué, and Captain Walters and his crews.  The Trust has tried to do its bit in that regard: it successfully petitioned Canada Post Corporation resulting in the issuance of a stamp in honour of Captain Angus Walters on 30 July, 1998.  Also in response to the efforts of the Trust, on 15 March, 2002,  the Royal Canadian Mint officially recognized Bluenose as the schooner on the reverse side of Canada's 10 cent coin. Our Trust was instrumental in having William J. Roué inducted posthumously into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame in the Builder category in 2004. In addition, the Trust spearheaded the establishment in 2002 of the William J Roué Reading Room within the Lunenburg Library; it contains an ever expanding collection of resource books on ships, seasmanship and shipbuilding.

The Trust also initiated the formation of the Bluenose II Alumni Association, a society made up of the men and women who formerly served as crew in the ship, including during the periods when she owned by the Oland family and by the Province of Nova Scotia. The Society has a mailing list of some 175 former crewmembers.

In 1995, the Roué family, of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, offered to assign to the Trust its copyright in the design of Bluenose and her replica, Bluenose II,  to enable the Trust to license persons to use that image and thereby help raise funds. The Trust charged licensing fees for commercial use of the image.  The Trust did not charge a licensing fee for a community not-for-profit use or for an educational use. However, and most importantly, the Trust's work in this area provided a structure to ensure that the image of the Bluenose and her replica, Bluenose II, were used accurately and appropriately in keeping with the legacy that they represent.  The Trust has had licensing arrangements with individuals, companies and governments. One of those arrangements was with Cinémaginaire Inc., the film company of Denys Arcand, of Montréal. His film, “The Barbarian Invasions” won the Academy Award in 2004 as the Best Foreign Film.  Two scenes in that film were shot onboard Bluenose II, and the Trust is listed in the credits.  And so the ship has a tiny piece of that Academy Award.  But, the important thing in this story is that Mr. Arcand would not have sought out Bluenose II for his film if the ship was not maintained in full sailing status, and crewed by qualified people in a safe and good seamanlike manner.  This is but another example of the benefits that the Trust has brought to the taxpayers of Nova Scotia. 

Since January, 2005, this intellectual property has been administered by the Estate of William J. Roué, and interested parties should contact Ms. Joan E. Roué.

The Trust organized a national tour for Bluenose II which commenced in 1997. In that year, Bluenose II visited 23 ports, and 161,200 people were able to walk her decks.  Over 100,000 people visited the mobile museum that accompanied the ship, which told the stories of schooner dory fishing and the racing exploits of the original Bluenose.  The tour was a huge success and gave thousands of Canadians and visitors alike the opportunity to see and visit  Bluenose II, Canada’s most recognized Tall Ship. 

As a supplement to the tour story, during the winter of 1998–1999, the Province of Quebec suffered a famously disastrous ice storm.  The Bluenose mobile museum had a very good generator, so the Trust had the museum hauled to the small town of Saint-Paul-d'Abbotsford which was without electricity. The generator provided the power for a building which served as the dining hall for 250 residents per meal.  One cannot think of a finer benefit of the Bluenose legacy than that assistance provided to those fellow Canadians in their hour of need.

Next: Saving the Bluenose II